PODCAST · sports
Real Trail Talk
by Donovan de Souza & Mark Pybus
Western Australian Hiking Podcast hosted by Donovan from The Long Way’s Better and Mark from The Life of Py.
Episodes
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Episode 104 - The Hexatrek with Tilly Hikes
We are joined by WA local Tilly Johnson (aka @tillyhikes) to talk about her 3000-kilometre hike across France on the Hexatrek. Chatting about everything from logistics, to food, to the people, it was great to sit down and hear all about Tilly's adventures.
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Episode 103 - 2025 Year in Review
Donovan and Mark discuss their 2025 adventures, highlights, lowlights, answer your questions, and run through the yearly topics.
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Episode 102 - Hiking with Kids
We are joined by Expedition Leader, Ecologist, Hiker, and Mum, Dr Kate Grarock to discuss everything to do with hiking with kids. With Donovan and Kate both becoming parents in the last few years, we talk about the joys, challenges, funny moments, and all the considerations that go into hiking…
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Episode 101 - Native Gardens
Joining us in the studio to discuss all things native gardens are big time gardening enthusiasts, Angela from Studio Nikulinsky, and Christine from the ABC. In this episode we nerd out on what we enjoy about our own native gardens, what got us into native gardening, our favourite plants,...
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Episode 100 - A Look Back + Q&A
We made it to 100 episodes, and to celebrate we take a look back at the past eight years of the podcast, talk about the journey, our favourite moments, and then answer your questions. Thank you to everyone that has listened to us ramble on about trails and hiking over the years, it really is...
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Episode 99 - 2024 Year in Review
It's that time again, where Donovan and Mark sit down and discuss their 2024 adventures, where they visited, what they did, and how they felt about the year. Visit The Long Ways Better here Visit The Life of Py here
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Episode 98 - Kiandra to Kosciuszko
Donovan hiked a six day stretch of the Australian Alps Walking Track (AAWT) in 2024 between Kiandra and Kosciuszko, and we sit down to have a chat about the experience. From historic huts to stunning alpine terrain, there is plenty to enjoy along this hike, although Donovan did encounter some...
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Episode 97 - The Australian Triple Crown
Donovan chats to Kevin Moss aka Goin Feral about the Australian Triple Crown, the Australian Alps Walking Trail (AAWT), Heysen Trail and Bibbulmun Track. Kevin completed all three trails in 2024, and discusses what makes them different, his experiences on all three, and how they compare.
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Episode 96 - Mark Wrote a Second Book
After releasing his first book in 2023, Best Walks of South West WA, Mark has a follow-up book titled Best Walks of South Coast WA. Covering the stunning walks between Walpole and Cape Arid, and everything in-between, there are 42 trails ranging from coastal hikes to mountain climbs. Get your…
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Episode 95 - Day Hikes of the Northern Territory
With a plethora of national parks and stunning scenery in the Northern Territory, we sit down and discuss the hiking options going from the north to the south.
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Episode 94 - What Makes a Good Trail
In this episode we discuss what makes a good trail, ranging design, experience, scenery, facilities and everything in-between. On top of that we talk about why we like trails so much, and what goes into a great trail experience in our opinion.
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Episode 93 - 2023 Year in Review
One of our favourite episodes of the year, we discuss our 2023 Adventures by going through what we enjoyed, what we didn't, and then some answer some listener questions. Thank you everyone who has tuned in during 2023, we really appreciate it.
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Episode 92 - Bibbulmun Track 25th Anniversary
We are joined by Steve Sertis from the Bibbulmun Track Foundation to discuss the journey of what went into the 25th Anniversary End to End Walk. Steve shares some great stories, explains the challenges of organising the event, and reflects on the Bibbulmun and the wonderful community that…
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Episode 91 - Mark Wrote a Book
Best Walks of South West WA is a new guidebook written by Mark, showcasing 40 great walks from the South West and exploring the beautiful forests, coastline and rivers of this unique region. In this episode we have a bit of a chat about the process of writing the guidebook, what you can expect…
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Episode 90 - South Coast Track - Part Two
Continuing on with our discussion about the South Coast Track, this episode sees Bronwyn return as we chat about the final three days on this stunning week long hike in the Tasmanian Wilderness.
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Episode 89 - South Coast Track - Part One
In January 2023, Donovan, Mark and Bonny completed the South Coast Track in Tasmania and we sit down to discuss the first four days on this rugged adventure in the remote wilderness of Southwest National Park.
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Episode 88 - 2022 Year In Review
We are back!!! While we have taken a break from podcasting for the latter half of 2022, we were still out exploring. As we discuss, there have been some big changes to our lives in 2022 (Donovan especially) and so we've sat down to have a chat about everything that happened.
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Episode 87 - Munda Biddi - Denmark to Albany + Aron
We are joined by Aron aka 1A1R to discuss the final section of the Munda Biddi Trail between Denmark and Albany before chatting about Mark and Aron's E2E back in September 2021.
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Episode 86 - Munda Biddi - Walpole to Denmark
The penultimate section of the 1065km Munda Biddi Trail, this is the last of the wilderness as you head into the Tingle Forest leaving Walpole and then explore the national parks to the north of the coastline. We had wildly different opinions about this section from our different experiences of...
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Episode 85 - 2021 Year in Review
It's been a weird and disrupted year so we sit down to discuss the past 12 months, our adventures, our thoughts and then answer your questions.
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Episode 84 - WA Hiking Draft
Joining us in the studio are podcast regulars Steve Sertis and Bonny Wells for the WA Hiking Draft, a concept we've stolen from The Big Picture where we select what we think is the best suite of trails from the various categories listed below. We hope you enjoy and check out the various Real…
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Episode 83 - Munda Biddi - Northcliffe to Walpole
We are joined by special guest Brad Serls from Cycles Bespoke to talk about the Northcliffe to Walpole section of the Munda Biddi Trail. A stunning and varied section of the trail with some really unique terrain and big hills including a little side quest up to Mount Frankland. If you're looking…
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Epsiode 82 - Yonga Trail
It's not everyday we get a new hiking trail in WA, let alone an overnight trail so with the opening of the 28km Yonga Trail in Lesueur National Park, we had a discussion on what it was like from two different perspectives. Donovan and Alissa did this as a long day walk while Mark and Caris...
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Episode 81 - Electric Bikes
Donovan has a new love with the discovery of e-bikes and he has introduced his other love (his wife Alissa) to the joy of electrically assisted cycling. In this episode we discuss their adventures on the Munda Biddi and what benefits an e-bike can deliver.
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Episode 80 - Munda Biddi - Manjimup to Northcliffe
Continuing on with our series on the 1050km Munda Biddi Trail, we are joined by Michelle from Feed the Hike to discuss the Manjimup to Northcliffe section of the ride. Filled with lovely forests, farmland and some enjoyable towns along the way, this section has some of the best riding of the…
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Episode 79 - Hiking Fitness with Rowan Smith
In this episode we have a bit of a discussion about fitness, injuries and our experiences before Donovan has a chat with Rowan Smith from Summit Strength about helping hikers with their preparation, training, strength and injury prevention plus a whole lot more.
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Episode 78 - Gibb River Road
We are joined by Alex Garner from Intents Offroad to discuss the famous Gibb River Road in the Kimberley. Stretching 660km between Derby and Kununurra, this old stock route explores some beautiful country including Windjana Gorge, Mitchell Falls, El Questro and Purnululu National Park.
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Episode 77 - Munda Biddi - Nala Mia to Manjimup
We are joined by Rod Annear to discuss the next section of the Munda Biddi between Nala Mia Campsite at Jarrahwood to the track town of Manjimup. Riding on old rail formations, roads, vehicle tracks and single track you visit Nannup, Donnelly River along with being introduced to the Karri Forest...
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Episode 76 - Mark & Don's Easter Adventures
With Easter providing a good opportunity to get some more bang for your buck with regards to holiday leave, we both set out on different adventures across the country. Don headed north to swim with the whale sharks and check out Mount Augustus while Mark flew over to Tassie for a two and a half...
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Episode 75 - Josh Carr Hikes
We are joined in the studio by Josh Carr, videographer extraordinaire and hiking enthusiast about his adventures around WA and Tasmania. A talented filmmaker, Josh explains what goes into making one of his stunning videos and what drew him into making films about hiking.
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Episode 74 - Perth Hiking Expo
We are joined by the President of HikeWest, Dave Osborne, to talk about the upcoming WA Hiking Expo that is being held on Sunday the 2nd of May at the Perth Hills Discovery Centre in Mundaring. A celebration of hiking, trail running and the community, we discuss what has gone in to organising the...
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Episode 73 - Feed the Hike
We are joined by Michelle Ryan to discuss her new dehydrated meal company, Feed the Hike. Providing tasty, fresh and smartly packaged options for the trail, we talk about why she created Feed the Hike, the journey to get to this point and what's in the future. As a special offer for Real Trail…
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Episode 72 - Munda Biddi - Collie to Nala Mia
The next episode in our Munda Biddi series discussing the section of the track taking you from Collie to Nala Mia with special guest Saf Flatters from Bark and Spark. Exploring the stunning Jarrah forests of Wellington National Park, including one of the more entertaining downhill stretches, the...
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Episode 71- 2020 in Review
In what was an unexpected year for the world, we sit back and discuss the year that was, our trail adventures and then get into a Q&A. Welcome to our first wine sponsor, Green Door Wines and as a special offer for Real Trail Talk listeners simply enter TRAILTALK at the checkout for a 10% discount...
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Episode 70 - Munda Biddi - Dwellingup to Collie
The next episode in our Munda Biddi series discussing the section of the track taking you from Dwellingup to Collie. Taking in some really nice Jarrah forest, this section is unfortunately blighted by the ongoing destruction of the forests by Alcoa and their bauxite mining operations. To read…
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Episode 69 - Kep Track
Running between Mundaring Weir and Northam, the historic Kep Track follows the old rail trail as it winds through the forests, towns and farms along the water pipeline. This 75km trail is best experienced on a bike so on a rainy November day, we loaded up our mountain bikes to discover what this...
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Episode 68 - Mark's Spring Road Trip
After a long break we have returned with Mark giving an account of his four week road trip where he hiked the Cape to Cape, ticked off several hikes on his to-do list around Walpole, Albany and Esperance and finished with a fun weekend at the Pemby Trail Festival. To hear Mark's response to…
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Episode 67 - Dave Osborne from WalkGPS
This week we are joined by Dave Osborne from WalkGPS to discuss off-track hiking, what went into creating the depth and breadth of walks on his website and the state of bushwalking in Western Australia.
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Episode 66 - Risk
We are joined by Risk Expert Alan de Souza, who also happens to be father to Donovan, to discuss the topic of risk and how it relates to trails, government and decision making. Stay to the end for a quick Q&A on what Donovan was like as a kid.
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Episode 65 - Munda Biddi - Jarrahdale to Dwellingup
The second episode of our Munda Biddi series sees us joined by Jake from Intents Offroad to discuss the Jarrahdale to Dwellingup section of this 1000km cycling trail. Taking you through the Jarrah forests of the Darling Range, there is some lovely cycling mixed in with mining and forestry...
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Episode 64 - Neil McCulloch from the First Hike Project
We sit down with Neil McCulloch from the First Hike Project, a not for profit organisation that takes newly arrived youth from refugee and migrant backgrounds out on hiking trips in the Australian bush to help introduce them to the outdoors and build confidence. Discussing what is involved with…
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Episode 63 - Jess Beckerling from the WA Forest Alliance
In this episode we interview Jess Beckerling from the WA Forest Alliance to discuss the threats facing the forests of the South West of WA, the transition away from native logging, the future of the forests and how you can help save their beautiful ecosystems.
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Episode 62 - Munda Biddi - Mundaring to Jarrahdale
Hopping on the mountain bike for 2020, Donovan has started a sectional end to end of the Munda Biddi, a 1000km long distance trail running from Mundaring to Albany. Running North to South we are doing a series on the track starting with the Mundaring to Jarrahdale section that runs through the...
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Episode 61 - South West Road Trip Challenge
Our mission for this episode was to come up with the ultimate South West Road Trip given a time frame of roughly two weeks that could be realistically accomplished. We both map out our hypothetical routes and discuss how we would fill each day (which of course included a lot of trails).
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Episode 60 - Hiking Gear Discussion
In this episode we get into a discussion about hiking gear, what we use, how we came to choose that gear, a brief chat about ultralight gear, sustainability and what gear we'd like heading into the future.
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Episode 59 - Mark's Bibbulmun Track Rebuttal
After finally finishing his sectional end to end, Mark discusses his thoughts on the entire Bibbulmun Track and how life has changed over that time.
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Episode 58 - Snorkelling in WA - Coral Coast and the North West (Part Two)
We are joined again by WA outdoor adventure enthusiast Shavaurn to discuss the world class snorkelling locations up and down the northern part of Western Australia. With some of the most stunning spots in the whole of the state (and perhaps the country), the snorkelling at places like Ningaloo is...
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Episode 57 - Snorkelling in WA - Perth and the South West (Part One)
We are joined by WA outdoor adventure enthusiast Shavaurn to discuss the various snorkelling spots around Perth and South West. With summer meaning a break in the hiking season, we like to get out into the water and explore a different type of scene. Thanks to the Leeuwin Current there is a…
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Episode 56 - Tongariro Northern Circuit
The second of our two Great Walks of New Zealand discussions, we talk about the Tongariro Northern Circuit that was completed by The Long Way's Better at the end of 2019. This four day hike takes you around the active volcanoes of Mount Tongariro and Mount Ngauruhoe (used as Mt Doom from Lord of...
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Episode 55 - Abel Tasman Coast Track
In this episode we are joined by the other half of The Long Way's Better to discuss their Christmas expedition on the Abel Tasman Coast Track in New Zealand. This 4.5 day coastal hike is a relaxing escape from the usual rigours of multi-day hiking with stunning scenery, nice huts to stay in and...
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Real Trail Talk have?
Real Trail Talk currently has 92 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Real Trail Talk about?
Western Australian Hiking Podcast hosted by Donovan from The Long Way’s Better and Mark from The Life of Py.
How often does Real Trail Talk release new episodes?
Real Trail Talk has 92 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Real Trail Talk?
You can listen to Real Trail Talk on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Real Trail Talk?
Real Trail Talk is created and hosted by Donovan de Souza & Mark Pybus.
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